Newmai News Network Imphal | March 27 At least 21 people were killed and 23 others injured in three separate tragic highway accidents in Senapati and Tamenglong districts of Manipur on Monday. The Home Department, Government of Manipur, said 12 people were killed and 17 others injured when an Imphal-bound bus of Deccan Rajdhani Travels the passengers were traveling in skidded off the hilly road and plunged into a deep gorge at Chakumei bridge near Maram of Senapati district on Imphal-Dimapur highway around 3:30 am. A source said the driver lost control of the vehicle. Ten (10) passengers died on the spot while two succumbed on their way to a nearby Assam Rifles hospital at Maram. Among the injured, 12 were later brought to Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) hospital in Imphal and another five to Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences (JNIMS) hospital here for better treatment. Earlier, personnel of Assam Rifles and police assisted the villagers in the rescue operation. Maram is located about 50 km from here. Around 29 passengers were travelling in the bus coming from Nagaland’s Dimapur towards Manipur capital Imphal when the fatal mishap occurred. In another major mishap, eight (8) people including two women were killed and six others injured after the passenger vehicle, a Cruiser van, they were travelling in rolled into a 300 feet deep gorge near Khongshang under Nungba Police Station of Tamenglong district along NH-37. According to police, the accident took place around 12:30 pm. A police team led by Officer-in Charge of Nungba Police Station rushed to the site to assist the rescue operation and retrieve the bodies. The police believed the fatal mishap occurred after the driver of the packed passenger van lost control of the vehicle, which went off the hilly road and fell into the gorge. In yet another highway accident, a truck driver was killed after the vehicle met with an accident at Lairou Ching of Senapati along Imphal-Dimapur road just after noon. The police are trying to ascertain the actual causes of the mishaps. Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh and Manipur Governor Dr Najma Heptulla condoled the death of several people in the tragic accidents and shared the grief of the families. Meanwhile, the Manipur state government has announced compensation of Rs 2 lakh each for the next of kin, Rs 50,000 each for the critically injured and Rs 30,000 each for those who sustained minor injuries in the mishaps.
